


School Daze

by Spikedluv



Category: Shelter (2007)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-01
Updated: 2012-10-01
Packaged: 2017-11-15 10:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/526346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spikedluv/pseuds/Spikedluv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Away at college Zach develops his first massive crush on a guy.  He never expects to actually meet him, but fate (in the form of Tori and Gabe) has other plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	School Daze

**Author's Note:**

> College!AU where Zach and Tori go away to college together and meet Gabe and Shaun there. I have played around with ages a bit to make this work. Written for shelter_diner’s Back-to-School Challenge.
> 
> Written: September 30, 2012

Zach sat at one of the picnic tables scattered about the quad. His drawing pad was open in front of him, but he was people watching instead of sketching. The first week in September was still warm enough for students and professors alike to enjoy sitting outside in the sun, hanging out between classes or eating lunch.

“What’s he doing today?” Tori asked as she settled on the bench beside Zach.

Zach startled at her sudden appearance, but didn’t take his eyes off the man he’d been studying. “Writing,” Zach told her. The same thing he’d been doing everyday for the past two weeks, since the first day of classes when Zach had gotten his first glimpse of the other man.

He sat outside each day for a couple of hours, under that same tree. A notebook resting on his knee, a cup of coffee on the ground beside him, and a pipe close to hand. Zach had never seen him light it, but he loved to pick it up and fiddle with it before setting it back down and continuing to write. While Zach watched that afternoon he’d filled the blue notebook he’d been writing in and pulled out another, opening it to a clean page. The cover on this notebook was red. Given the speed at which the man wrote, Zach estimated that he’d have it filled before the week was out.

His name was Shaun. Shaun Andrews. Zach knew this because Tori had asked around. The same way he knew Shaun was getting an MFA in Creative Writing and was TA’ing for Fundamentals of Screenwriting.

“Why don’t you just go over and talk to him?” Tori said, her tone a mix of fond exasperation. And not for the first time.

Zach shook his head. “We don’t have anything in common.” In addition to being a lowly freshman, Zach was in the Art Program. He loved to draw and paint, but he wasn’t very good with words.

“He’s not seeing anyone,” Tori went on casually as she opened her Biology textbook.

Zach glanced at her sharply. “How do you know that?”

“I asked,” Tori said easily. “Actually, I met someone who knows him. Apparently he broke up with some jerk over the summer.”

“Who?” Zach said, confused.

“Shaun,” Tori said, with a look that told him to keep up. “Oh, there he is now.”

Zach turned his head in the direction Tori was looking, expecting to see Shaun, but the guy he saw was definitely not Shaun. Zach gave a sigh of relief (and maybe a smidgeon of disappointment) as Tori stood up to greet the guy with a hug. From the way her cheeks pinked up when she turned to introduce him to Zach, he determined that she liked the guy.

“Zach, this is Gabe. Gabe, my friend Zach.”

“The high school boyfriend,” Gabe said as shook Zach’s hand. “Tori’s told me all about you.”

Zach raised his eyebrows at Tori and thought, Really? Because she never mentioned you. Out loud, however, he said, “Yeah, that’s me. Nice to meet you, Gabe.”

“You, too, man,” Gabe said. He took a seat on the other side of the picnic table, thankfully sitting across from Tori so he didn’t block Zach’s view of Shaun. “Tori tells me you like to skateboard.”

“Uh, yeah,” Zach said, drawing his eyes away from Shaun and giving Tori a surprised look.

“Me, too,” Gabe said excitedly. “Not many people around here do.” He indicated the campus. “There’s a Skate Park near here if you wanna go sometime.”

“Yeah,” Zach said. “That’ll be cool.”

He’d brought his skateboard to school with him, but he hadn’t had much chance to use it. A couple days after they’d arrived he’d explored the area round the campus, but he hadn’t been out since.

“I don’t suppose you like to surf,” Zach said, half-joking.

Gabe reached across the table and lightly punched Zach in the arm. “No way! Dude! You surf?”

“Yeah,” Zach said, starting to get excited. “You, too?”

“Hell, yeah. Man, we’ll have to go sometime, you me, and my brother.”

Tori made a choked sound.

“You, too, of course,” Gabe said, misinterpreting the sound.

Tori held up her hand to forestall a guilt trip. “I don’t surf, but I do miss going to the beach. I’d love to join you guys, if I’m not intruding on a guys only thing.”

“Not at all,” Gabe said. “That way I can impress you with how good I am on a board.”

“Uh huh,” Tori said, smiling. “It’ll take more than that to impress me.”

Gabe looked like he didn’t believe her. He rubbed his hands together. “Awesome!” he said. “It’s a date. Maybe this weekend. I’ll have to see when my brother can get away.”

Zach nodded. “That sounds good.”

Zach caught movement from the corner of his eyes and glanced over to where Shaun had packed up his notebook and pipe and was already standing. He swung the strap of his messenger bag over his shoulder, picked up his coffee cup, and . . . headed in their direction. Zach’s breath caught in his throat for reasons he couldn’t identify, because even though Shaun had never before headed their way after he finished writing (the building where he held office hours was in the other direction), it wasn’t as if he was actually _headed their way_.

Gabe noticed Zach staring and turned his head to look over his shoulder. He smiled when he saw Shaun approaching, and got his legs out from under the picnic table so he could stand up to greet the other man.

Except for how he apparently was headed their way.

“Bro!” Gabe said.

Shaun smiled in response to the greeting. He and Gabe executed a complicated handshake and then hugged each other, Gabe wrapping both of his arms around Shaun and squeezing him tight despite the public venue. Zach wondered if he’d somehow fallen into some sort of Bizarro World, but when he turned to Tori, expecting to see the same surprise mirrored in her expression, she just gave him a soft, knowing smile.

“You guys,” Gabe said, turning back to the picnic table. “This is my big brother, Shaun. Shaun, this is Tori . . . .”

Shaun reached across the table to shake Tori’s hand. “Hi, Tori. I think I’ve heard Gabe mention your name.”

Tori pinked up again, but this time so did Gabe. “Hi, Shaun,” she said. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you.”

“And her friend Zach,” Gabe finished the introductions.

“Hi, Zach,” Shaun said.

Zach felt his skin grow warm as he reached out to clasp Shaun’s hand. “Hi, Shaun. It’s nice to meet you.”

Zach refused to glance at Tori, who he was certain would be wearing an expression accusing him of making the understatement of the century.

“You, too,” Shaun said warmly.

“Zach surfs,” Gabe announced suddenly.

Shaun gave Zach another look, and Zach grew even warmer as his brain supplied an image of Shaun in a wetsuit.

“We were talking about going out this weekend, if you’re available.”

“Sounds good,” Shaun said. “I don’t get to go out much. I’m supposed to work this weekend, but I’ll see if I can trade some shifts.”

“Cool!” Gabe said, pounding Shaun on the back.

Zach had expected Shaun to teeter under the impact, but he didn’t move, and merely gave Gabe a fond smile.

“So, you both go to school here?” Tori asked.

“Yeah, our dad . . . ,” Gabe began.

“Step-dad,” Shaun corrected.

Gabe rolled his eyes. “Is an alum, so we got reduced tuition.”

“Are you staying on campus, Shaun?” Tori quizzed.

“This year I’ve got an apartment,” Shaun said. “I offered to let this knucklehead stay with me, but he wanted to experience ‘dorm life’.”

Gabe waggled his eyebrows. “Don’t want to miss out on the parties, man. Or the ladies.”

Zach glanced at Tori to see what her reaction was to that statement, but she just rolled her eyes.

“What about you two?” Shaun said. He nodded at Zach’s drawing pad. “I’m guessing you’re in the Art Program.”

“Yeah,” Zach said.

“That’s cool,” Shaun said.

Tori told Shaun that she was getting a business degree with an emphasis on accounting. The two of them briefly discussed one of the professors in the program who Shaun was familiar with because he’d taken an Accounting 101 course so he’d at least know how to keep his books if he managed to become a famous author.

“Alright,” Shaun said finally. “I’ve got to get going. I’m going to be late for my own office hours.” Shaun clapped Gabe on the back, then turned to Tori and Zach. “It was nice meeting you two.”

“You, too, Shaun,” Tori said.

Zach said something, though he wasn’t sure what, as he watched Shaun walk away. When he could no longer see Shaun, and turned his attention back to their group, Gabe was staring at him with an amused, if considering, expression on his face.

“What?” Zach said defensively.

“So it’s like that, is it?” Gabe said.

“No,” Zach denied.

Tori snorted.

“He’s single,” Gabe said. “If you’re interested. The last guy he dated was an asshole. Bad break up. He deserves someone nice.”

Tori leaned over and slung her arm around Zach’s shoulders. “Zach is nice,” she said, and pressed a kiss to Zach’s cheek.

~*~*~*~

Gabe called Zach on Friday to ask if he wanted to go to the Skate Park that afternoon after his last class. Zach’s first instinct was to decline because he’d planed on using the time to sit in the quad and draw (and not in anyway stalk Shaun). He was there on a full scholarship – the only way he’d been able to attend such a prestigious university – and he was determined to keep his grades up.

“I know you’re free,” Gabe said. “Tori gave me your schedule.”

Zach made a mental note to have words with Tori about that later, though he didn’t know how he’d manage to say anything without sounding like an ungrateful brat.

“Come on,” Gabe wheedled. “I don’t have anybody else to go with, and you said you haven’t had much time to board since you got here.”

The problem was, Zach really did want to go. “Alright,” he agreed, fighting back a smile as Gabe whooped on the other end of the call. “But I can’t spend all afternoon there because I have homework to do.”

Gabe scoffed at the idea of actually doing homework, but he agreed to Zach’s terms. When Zach arrived at the student parking lot after his last class, Gabe and Tori were already leaning against the Jimmy waiting for him.

“I’m gonna do some reading while you two try to kill yourselves,” Tori told Zach.

A couple hours later Zach couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

“Happy?” Tori asked softly, the question for Zach’s ears only.

Zach looked at her, his smile turning a little bit sheepish as he nodded. Tori bumped his shoulder.

“I’m glad.”

Zach had to admit that he’d been a little bit homesick, even though he’d been excited about going to college. He’d missed skateboarding through town, tagging his art, staring at the bridge behind his house, hitting his favorite surfing spot, and even working at the diner, but mostly he missed Cody. For a few hours today he’d forgotten all that and let himself really enjoy the moment.

They went back to the Student Union for dinner because they could use their meal cards there, and ”some of us aren’t made of money,” as Tori informed Gabe. That’s where Shaun found them.

“Have fun at the Skate Park?” he asked.

“Dude!” Gabe said, speaking through a mouthful of french fries. “It was awesome! And this guy here’s pretty good, too.”

Zach shrugged, flushing when he felt Shaun’s eyes on him. “I’m alright, I guess.”

Tori gave him a look that called him on his false modesty.

“Listen,” Shaun said. “I just wanted to let you know that I managed to switch shifts tomorrow morning if you guys still want to go surfing this weekend?”

“Hell, yeah!” Gabe said loudly, drawing stares and ignoring them. “You’re still on, right?” he asked Zach.

“Yeah, sure,” Zach said.

“Great,” Shaun said. “I’ll pick you guys up outside Gabe’s dorm.”

They settled on a time to meet, and then Shaun said, “Well, I’ve got to get going.”

“Hot date?” Gabe asked with a sly glance towards Zach.

“Yeah,” Shaun said wryly. “With the library staff.”

“Sounds kinky,” Gabe said, ducking Shaun’s swat to his head. “Though I’ll never understand why, when you’ve got an apartment all to yourself you still insist on going to the library,” he added in disbelief.

“I like the library,” Shaun said easily, not taking offense at Gabe’s comment.

“Actually, Zach has to go to the library, too,” Gabe said. “You two should walk over together.”

“What?” Zach said, surprised at being brought into the conversation as much as being thrown at Shaun. “No I don’t.”

“You told me you couldn’t stay out and play late because you had to do homework.”

“I was going to sit in the quad and practice drawing people!” Zach said.

“Getting too dark for that,” Gabe said way too reasonably. “Might as well sit in the library and draw ‘em.”

Zach shifted nervously when everyone stared at him expectantly. The truth was, it wasn’t a bad idea. The lighting wouldn’t be ideal, but the only other option would be to stay in the noisy, crowded Student Union, or the dorm lounge if he wanted to get in some practice.

“Fine,” Zach said as he stuffed the last fry into his mouth. “But don’t think I don’t realize you’re just trying to get rid of me.”

“Yeah,” Tori said dryly. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Zach stood up and grabbed his backpack. He pushed his chair in and waited for Shaun to say goodbye to Gabe and Tori, and then followed him out of the Student Union, ignoring Gabe’s smirk.

“Sorry,” Zach said once they’d stepped outside. It wasn’t dark yet, but the light was fading. Still, Zach could see Shaun’s face when he turned to look at him.

“For what?”

“Gabe pushing me on you.” Zach just hoped that Shaun never figured out _why_ Gabe was pushing them together.

Shaun laughed. “It’s no problem. Besides, I know Gabe can be a little . . . .”

“Pushy?” Zach said.

Gabe was loud, brash, and obnoxious, but he was also funny, and, Zach had a feeling, not quite as dumb as he pretended to be.

The walk across campus was made in silence, but despite Zach’s crush and Gabe’s interference, it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. Zach followed Shaun into the library, and then hesitated.

“You’re welcome to join me,” Shaun offered.

Zach wanted to say no as much as he wanted to say yes. “I won’t bother you?” he finally managed to ask.

“You’re going to be sketching, not doing interpretive dance, right?” Shaun said.

Zach barked out a laugh at the unexpected joke, and then glanced around in embarrassment when he got ‘shh’d from several directions. When he looked back at Shaun, though, he was just smiling at him as if he was pleased that Zach had enjoyed the joke.

“No interpretive dance,” Zach vowed.

Shaun nodded, then turned and walked away as if he expected Zach to follow him. Zach did. Shaun took them to a quiet corner that still allowed Zach several sketching options. There were people sitting at tables, earphones hanging from their ears, heads bent over textbooks, others perusing the book stacks, and some sitting in the easy chairs, either reading or sleeping.

Zach pulled out his drawing pad and pencils, and then arranged his chair for the best view of the area they were seated in. He put his feet up on the chair beside him and looked around, waiting, hoping for inspiration to strike. When it did, Zach began sketching. He drew for several minutes before he realized what he was sketching. He considered stopping and choosing another subject, but he didn’t really want to. Zach lost himself in the sketch, in getting every little detail right.

“What are you drawing?” Shaun asked softly. “Is it okay to ask that?”

Zach’s hand froze. He used the side of his thumb to smudge a line, pretending that’s why he’d stopped sketching, and using the time to try and think of an answer that wouldn’t be completely embarrassing.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Shaun said with gentle understanding.

“No, it’s not that. Exactly,” Zach said. He slowly turned the pad so that Shaun could see the sketch.

Shaun leaned forward and studied the drawing. His brow furrowed in concentration as he glanced from the pad to the table. “Is that _my_ hand?”

Zach was glad the lighting in the library was low (lamps on each table allowing an individual to adjust the light to their own preference) so that Shaun wouldn’t see the way his skin flushed at the question. “It was the first thing that caught my eye,” Zach admitted, which was true as far as it went.

Shaun had snuck a cup of coffee into the library and had kept one hand wrapped around it while he highlighted and took notes with the other. Zach had watched Shaun bring the cup to his lips for a sip and been unable to look away. He liked the look of Shaun’s hand, which looked like it could be both strong and gentle, as the occasion warranted. His nails looked like they’d been trimmed and filed, but there was evidence that one had been bitten. There was a paper cut on the second finger, and a stamp from a local club on the back of his hand.

“That’s cool, man,” Shaun said.

“Yeah? You don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” Shaun said.

“I kind of suck at drawing the human body. I really need the practice.”

“What do you like to draw?” Shaun asked.

Zach hesitated for a second, and then flipped to the front of the pad. He showed Shaun the picture of the bridge he’d sketched from memory.

“That’s amazing,” Shaun said as he studied the drawing.

Zach shrugged. Even though he’d gotten a full ride based on his artwork, he sometimes questioned whether he was any good. “I can see the bridge from my house,” Zach said, even though Shaun hadn’t asked.

“You were homesick when you drew this,” Shaun said.

Zach’s gaze snapped to Shaun’s face. “You can tell?”

“Yeah,” Shaun said, as if he was surprised everybody couldn’t. “You’ve got all these lights here.” He pointed to them. “But they’re not shining bright, they’re dim. I never thought I’d say this about a bridge, but it looks sad.”

Zach slowly pulled the pad back. “Yeah. It’s missing me,” he admitted, thinking about the tears in Cody’s eyes when he’d left.

“I’m sure it is,” Shaun said gently, as if Zach hadn’t just admitted to something incredibly stupid.

“That probably sounds dumb.”

“No,” Shaun said. “It doesn’t. And you can use me as your model anytime you need to practice drawing the human body.”

Blushing, Zach smiled. He settled the pad and looked around once more, determined to sketch someone that wasn’t Shaun. Instead he found himself captured by Shaun’s ear, and the line of his jaw as he bent his head over the book he was reading.

~*~*~*~

Surfing was awkward at first, with Zach trying to keep his gaze off Shaun as he changed into his wetsuit, and Gabe and Tori both giving him knowing looks, but once they got out on the water Zach forgot everything else. Zach stayed out until muscles he hadn’t used for a couple weeks ached with the exertion. Shaun had already called it quits and was sitting on the sand beside Tori. They were talking and Zach felt a little shiver slide through him when they both raised their heads and watched him walk in. Zach stuck his board in the sand and wiped a towel over his face and hair before sitting on the other side of Tori.

“Shaun was just telling me about the drama club,” Tori told Zach.

“You act?” Zach asked Shaun.

Shaun laughed. “No. The professor that directs the plays was a guest speaker for my screenwriting class. We got talking after and I agreed to assist that one year, just to see how the words on the page got translated to the stage. It was an interesting experience.”

To hide his reaction at hearing Shaun tell the story about himself, Zach turned to Tori. “Are you gonna join?”

“I might,” Tori said.

“You should think about it, too,” Shaun told Zach. “At least for one year, just for the experience. I bet you could paint a kick ass backdrop.”

Zach didn’t have to hide the embarrassing little thrill that went through him at Shaun’s comment, because Gabe ran up to them and shook his head, spraying water all over them. Tori made a sound and bent over to cover her book while Shaun swatted at Gabe with his towel.

“You guys are such _wimps_ ,” Gabe stated as he dropped to the sand in front of them, not bothering to dry off.

Shaun reached out with his foot and knocked Gabe off balance. “What are you doing out of the water then?”

“I’m starving!” Gabe said as he pushed Shaun’s foot away and sat back up.

Zach’s stomach growled in solidarity. The others looked at him and started laughing.

“Zach’s always hungry,” Tori said.

“No I’m not!” Zach denied, but he didn’t argue when they started to pack up and make plans to get something to eat.

Shaun took them to a small restaurant on the beach that fit their student budgets, as well as filled their huge appetites. Zach studied the place with a considering eye and put it on the mental list he was creating of potential work places for some extra cash once he got a full semester under his belt and wasn’t afraid he was going to flunk out and end up back in San Pedro.

Shaun dropped them off outside Gabe’s dorm and Zach and Tori made plans to go to the library after Zach stowed his board in his room and showered. Gabe rolled his eyes and said he was going to play video games. He made plans to go to the movies that night with Tori, and it was Zach’s turn to roll his eyes when they asked if he wanted to join them.

“Yeah, just what I want to be, a third wheel,” Zach said.

“You’d never be a third wheel,” Tori said, hooking an arm around Zach’s neck and placing a loud smacking kiss on his cheek.

The three of them were pretty much inseparable after that. They didn’t share a single class, not even the freshmen requirements, but they managed to meet up for lunch (and Gabe even crawled out of bed to make it to brunch on the weekends). They went to the Skate Park and to the beach, and Gabe occasionally joined Zach and Tori in the library.

Shaun went surfing with them when he didn’t have to work, and even invited them over to his apartment for pizza and movies. The only thing Zach missed was the quiet hours in the quad when he’d been able to study Shaun from afar. It felt odd for him to moon over Shaun now that he knew him, and it was embarrassing when Gabe would catch him not paying attention to something he was saying and give Zach a knowing look.

Zach figured it was better to have met Shaun, to know what he looked like with ketchup on his chin, to have Shaun stop and talk to him when they passed each other on the way to class, even when Gabe wasn’t around, and for Shaun to remember what Zach liked on his pizza. Still, Zach missed those times when he’d been able to sit and daydream without feeling guilty. Or getting caught.

“Hey,” Shaun said.

Zach jerked his head up from where he’d been staring sightlessly at his drawing pad. “Shaun, hi.”

“You’re alone today?”

Zach glanced around as if it would change the fact that he was sitting alone at the picnic table. “Yeah,” he said. “Tori had a meeting with her advisor, and Gabe probably had a date with a video game.”

Shaun huffed a humorless laugh. “Command performance luncheon with Larry, more like,” he said. “Listen, wanna join me?” Shaun inclined his head to indicate the tree beneath which he’d already set his messenger bag. “Give you a different perspective on the quad.”

“I wouldn’t be bothering you?” Zach said.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I thought you’d be bothering me.”

“Yeah, okay,” Zach said before he (or Shaun) could change his mind. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and picked up his pad and pencils. Shaun grabbed a stray pencil before it could roll off the table and led the way back over to the tree. Shaun sat in his usual place and Zach settled in beside him. It took him a while to get comfortable, sitting this close to Shaun without Gabe or Tori there to serve as a buffer between them.

Zach turned to a new page in his pad. He sketched a drawing of Shaun sitting beneath the tree with his notebook. Above that he sketched a picture of Tori sitting on the bench watching Gabe and Zach skateboard. Below it he drew the four of them sitting on the beach, surfboards standing in the sand behind them. He didn’t even flinch when Shaun looked over his shoulder.

“It’s for my nephew Cody,” Zach said. “I send him a picture every week and tell him stories about what I’ve been up to. I just hope Jeannie reads them to him.”

“You miss him,” Shaun said.

“Yeah.” Zach didn’t say anything else, and Shaun didn’t push for more.

That weekend they went to a party on campus. Shaun’s excuse for going with them was to keep them out of trouble. Zach had too much to drink because he was suddenly nervous around Shaun, and Gabe and Tori disappeared somewhere, leaving them alone. Shaun took Zach outside, away from the noise and the lights, and they laid on the lawn, looking up at the stars. Zach told Shaun about his mom, and how much he still missed her.

Shaun was really easy to talk to, and Zach thought that he might have told Shaun about his mom even if he hadn’t been drunk. Shaun hadn’t drank nearly as much as Zach had, but he told Zach about the asshole boyfriend he’d broken up with over the summer. There’d been cheating involved. Zach had thought maybe that had been the case, though neither Gabe nor Shaun had said anything, but it still irritated him to hear it spoken out loud.

With some effort Zach rolled to his side so he could look at Shaun. “He sounds like a real jerk,” he declared.

Shaun smiled at Zach. “He was. But I’m over it. Been over him for a while now.”

Zach stared at Shaun, unsure as to what had just happened. Something, he thought, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. “Good,” he said, and then flopped back over onto his back. “I’m glad.”

Shaun chuckled. “I’m glad you’re glad,” he said softly.

Tori had been his best friend all through high school, but more and more Zach found himself turning to Shaun when he had something on his mind.

~*~*~*~

One Saturday Zach met Shaun at the bookstore where he worked on the weekends and some evenings. He found a book in the art section and settled down in one of the chairs to look through it while he waited for Shaun to get off his shift. A short while later, Zach raised his gaze from the book in his lap to glance around and was startled to see Shaun sitting in the chair across from him, watching him. A flush warmed his cheeks.

“How long have you been sitting there?” Zach asked, ducking his head and closing the book to hide his reaction.

“Not long,” Shaun said. “I got off late because Rona was running a bit late.”

“You should have said something.”

“You were immersed in your book,” Shaun said. “I didn’t want to interrupt you. What is it?” He inclined his head to indicate the book.

Zach held up the book so Shaun could see the front cover – _The Louvre: All The Paintings_.

Shaun nodded. “You should go sometime.”

“I’d like to,” Zach said. “Maybe one day I’ll be able to afford it,” he added with a self-deprecating smile.

“You will,” Shaun said with certainty. “You’re gonna be rich and famous someday.”

Zach snorted.

“You are,” Shaun said. “You’re good.”

Zach picked at the corner of the book so he didn’t have to look at Shaun. “Thanks,” he said.

“You’re welcome. Now come on,” Shaun said, pushing himself out of the chair. “Let’s get out of here before they put me back to work.”

Zach followed Shaun’s lead. He stood and re-shelved the book, then followed Shaun to the front door, glancing over when someone called goodbye to Shaun and he responded in kind. On the walk to Shaun’s car, Zach was struck by a thought.

“Wait, where are Tori and Gabe?”

Shaun glanced at him with a frown. “Gabe texted me earlier to say that he and Tori couldn’t make it. I figured he’d texted you, too.”

“No,” Zach said. “I don’t think.” He pulled out his phone and checked, but there were no missed messages from either Gabe or Tori.

“He said we should go on without them,” Shaun said cautiously. “But if you don’t want to . . . .”

“No!” Zach said. “I mean, I do.” They’d been planning on going to the movies this weekend since Tori had seen the trailer for it a couple weeks ago, and Zach had been looking forward to seeing it, and to hanging with Shaun. “But, are you sure you want to?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Shaun said.

“You might not have as much fun without Gabe and Tori there,” Zach said, trying not to sound pathetic.

Shaun raised his eyebrow and gave Zach a look he couldn’t quite decipher. “I think I’ll manage,” he said dryly.

“Well, if you’re sure,” Zach said.

“I am.”

“Okay, then.”

“Okay,” Shaun said, and nudged Zach in the side with his arm.

Zach laughed and nudged Shaun back. The rest of the walk to Shaun’s car was made in silence. Despite the massive crush Zach hadn’t been able to get rid of, it wasn’t uncomfortable. In the car Shaun broke the silence by asking Zach if he had a favorite painting from the Louvre. They talked about art for a few minutes, but as much as Zach loved art, he wanted to hear more about Shaun.

“How’s your writing going?”

Zach wasn’t talking about Shaun’s thesis, and Shaun knew that. Shaun had told Zach that he was trying his hand at writing a novel. Shaun hadn’t yet mentioned it to Gabe or Tori, that Zach was aware of, and it made him feel all warm inside that Shaun had trusted him enough to share that with him.

Shaun shrugged. “The writing’s going well – maybe too well,” he added. “I have to force myself to grade assignments and work on my thesis because I’d rather be writing. I’ve got words, I just don’t know if they’re any good,” Shaun finished with a self-deprecating laugh.

“It’s good,” Zach said certainly.

Shaun gave Zach a smile. “I appreciate the sentiment.”

“It’s not just sentiment,” Zach said. “I mean it.”

“I know you do. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Listen,” Zach went on after a moment. “I know how difficult it is to show your work to people who might not love it the way you do, probably won’t, but if you need someone to read it over for you, I’d be happy to. You know, do that.”

Shaun was silent for a few seconds and Zach began to worry that he’d overstepped. When he eased the car to a stop at a red light, Shaun turned to look at Zach. “Thank you. I really appreciate that you’d offer to do that for me.”

Zach shrugged, moved by the emotion on Shaun’s face. “It’s no big deal. I mean, I’d like to, so . . . .”

“Thanks,” Shaun said, and then reached out and flicked the tip of Zach’s nose to lighten the mood.

The rest of the drive to the theater they talked about the movie, and whether it would be as good as they’d heard, or if their expectations were too high, which segued into talking about their favorite movies and actors. Inside the theater they bought their own movie tickets, but Shaun insisted on paying for the popcorn, candy and drinks by virtue of actually having money from two paying jobs to Zach’s zero. Zach didn’t argue, but he made a mental note to bring Shaun his favorite coffee some night when he was working late in the office grading papers.

It wasn’t until they were seated inside the theater, sharing a large popcorn, that Zach had the thought. He hadn’t meant to, but he must’ve made a sound because Shaun turned away from the riveting trivia questions on the screen and gave Zach a questioning look.

Zach shook his head. “Nothing. I mean, I was just thinking. Do you think Gabe and Tori did this on purpose? I mean, set us up for a, you know, date?” he said, speaking the last word so softly that even he had trouble hearing it.

“I wouldn’t put it past Gabe,” Shaun said, but he didn’t sound put out over it. “Would you mind?”

Zach’s head shot up from where he’d been pretending that the box of candy in his hands was fascinating. “I . . . would you?” he asked instead of answering the question.

“No,” Shaun said. He sounded so sure of himself, but even in the dim lighting Zach thought he saw a flush coloring Shaun’s cheeks.

“Oh. No,” Zach said. “Me, neither.” His belly twisted with butterflies and Zach had to drop his gaze from Shaun’s face.

Shaun nudged Zach with the bowl of popcorn. “Eat up. I got a large just for you.”

Zach’s eyes shot up to Shaun’s face. “I didn’t tell you to get a large!”

Shaun scoffed. “I’ve seen you and Gabe eat. A large was a must.”

“That’s mostly Gabe,” Zach protested, but he stuck his hand in the bowl anyway.

~*~*~*~

The movie was good, but the company was even better. Zach had been nervous and a little bit stiff right after they’d both admitted to not minding so much if Gabe and Tori had arranged it so they could have their first sort-of date, but Shaun had put him at ease by just being Shaun. They played the trivia game on the screen, and between questions Shaun stole his candy and asked Zach about Cody. During the movie their hands brushed in the popcorn bowl and they ended up with their shoulders pressed together to more easily whisper questions and comments about the movie to each other.

“Where to for dinner?” Shaun asked when they stepped outside the theater.

“We don’t have to . . . .” Zach didn’t want Shaun to feel obligated to go to dinner with him, but the words dried up on his tongue at the look Shaun gave him. “Dinner would be good,” he quickly amended. “But I don’t really have a preference.” He could barely think now that there was the chance that this thing, this pseudo-date they were on, might continue.

“Just so long as it’s someplace with large portions?” Shaun said with a grin.

Zach swatted at Shaun. “I do not eat that much!”

“I get it,” Shaun teased. “You’re a growing boy.”

Zach opened his mouth to protest, but immediately shut it when Shaun rested his hand on Zach’s lower back to guide him to where they’d left the car. Zach had to bite back a moan when his jeans grew tight and made it difficult to walk. Thankfully Shaun was the gentleman and opened Zach’s door for him so he had time to rearrange himself while Shaun was walking around the car to the driver’s side.

Dinner was a lot less uncomfortable than Zach had thought it might be, even though Shaun slid into the same side of the booth as Zach and they sat with their knees touching almost the entire time. Shaun kept the conversation light and the touching to a minimum. When the check came, Shaun grabbed it.

“You do not always have to pay for me,” Zach said irritably after a failed attempt to snatch the bill out of Shaun’s fingers.

“I won’t,” Shaun said, touching the tips of his fingers to the inside of Zach’s knee. “But tonight I’m going to.”

Zach’s breath caught in his throat and he had to swallow twice before he could speak. “Okay,” he finally managed to say. “But next time, I’m buying.”

Zach almost couldn’t believe that he’d just practically _assumed_ that there would be another date, but Shaun’s smile in response was blinding.

“Okay,” Shaun said, squeezing Zach’s leg.

Zach and Tori had been best friends all through high school, as well as ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’, and they’d leaned against each other while sitting on Zach’s couch, and wrestled over the last Oreo, and even kissed, but they’d never been ones for PDAs. Though Zach wondered now if Tori _had_ been and Zach’s reticence had been the thing that clued her in to his sexual identity crisis.

Because Zach wanted to just melt into him when Shaun slid his hand across Zach’s lower back on the walk to the car. It wasn’t anything big – they weren’t groping each other, or even kissing. It was almost private, a just for them thing even though they were in a public venue, and for the first time Zach realized how much he liked it.

Once he’d started the car Shaun turned to Zach. “Do you need to get back?”

“I . . . no,” Zach said. “I mean, I never plan on getting anything done when Gabe makes plans to get together.” He’d done some homework that morning to make up for the fact that he wouldn’t get any done for the rest of the day. “But, if you do . . . .”

“You wanna come back to my place?” Shaun said.

Zach opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. It shouldn’t be this big of a deal. He’d been to Shaun’s apartment before. Even one time without Gabe or Tori to chaperone. But this was different. Because now Zach knew, or had a very good idea, that Shaun was, might be, as interested in him as he was in Shaun.

“It’s okay if you don’t,” Shaun said gently.

“No!” Zach said. “I mean, I do.”

Zach glanced at Shaun through his lashes, wanting to see his expression so he could try and figure out what he was thinking without giving too much away himself. Shaun was smiling.

“If you’re sure,” Shaun said.

_Laughing_ at him. Without actually laughing. Laughing on the inside.

“Oh my god,” Zach said. “Will you just drive?”

Now Shaun was laughing on the outside as well as the inside. Zach found he didn’t mind all that much.

Zach was silent for much of the drive, and he couldn’t keep his leg from bouncing. He couldn’t stop thinking about what might happen once they got to Shaun’s apartment. Shaun would offer him a drink, and they’d sit on the couch to watch television, and Shaun would put his arm around Zach’s shoulders, and then he’d kiss him and they’d forget all about the television and anything else but each other . . . .

“I’m not going to kiss you,” Shaun said when they finally made it inside his apartment. They were standing just inside the door and Shaun spoke fast, as if he had to get the words out as quickly as possible.

“Oh,” Zach said.

Shaun must have see the disappointment on his face, because he said, “It’s not that I don’t want to. I mean, of course I want to. It’s just . . . I’m not going to.”

Zach was _very_ confused. “Why not?” If Shaun wanted to kiss him, then why wasn’t he going to?

Shaun started to say something, then took a deep breath and started again. “Because you are young. Younger than me,” he corrected. “And it’s your first time dating a guy. And I just really don’t want to scare you off. Or, you know, push you into something you’re not ready for.”

“But you want to?” Zach said. “Kiss me, I mean.”

“Yes,” Shaun said, and Zach noticed how his eyes kept dropping to Zach’s lips. He darted his tongue out to lick his bottom lip experimentally and watched Shaun’s eyes darken.

“But you’re not going to?”

Shaun shook his head no, but he didn’t take his eyes off Zach’s lips.

“Well, then,” Zach said. “I guess it’s up to me.”

Shaun nodded his head, then said, “Wait, what?” as his eyes snapped up to Zach’s.

Zach stepped into Shaun’s personal space, and when he took an automatic step back Shaun came up against the door. Zach moved in closer before Shaun could remedy his mistake. He didn’t touch Shaun, just looked at him.

“Zach.” Shaun licked his lips and tried again. “What are you doing?”

“Looking at you,” Zach said. “And when I’m done looking at you, I’m going to kiss you.”

Shaun shook his head. “Zach.”

“You don’t have to kiss me back,” Zach said as he settled his hand against Shaun’s hip. “Not if you don’t want to.”

Shaun sucked in a deep breath, his reaction going straight to Zach’s dick.

“But I’d like it if you did.”

Zach used the hand on Shaun’s hip to brace himself, and he tilted his face up to Shaun’s. When their lips met, Shaun didn’t hesitate to participate. He returned the pressure, and parted his lips to Zach’s tongue when Zach sought entry, his own tongue welcomed Zach into his mouth. When they parted, they were both breathing hard, and Zach was leaning heavily against Shaun because his knees had gone weak.

This wasn’t Zach’s first kiss – he’d kissed Tori, of course, and a girl named Sandra once when he and Tori had been on a ‘break’, and a boy whose name Zach had never gotten once he’d admitted to himself that he liked boys – but it might as well have been. He’d never been kissed like that before, never realized a kiss could make him feel the way he did now, opened up and spun inside out.

“I’ve wanted to do that since the first time I saw you,” Shaun admitted breathlessly.

“Me, too,” Zach said, flushing despite the fact that they’d just been kissing, and that Shaun had admitted to it first. “I know you’ve got your principles and everything,” he said, earning him a not-very-intimidating glare, what with Shaun’s lips being all wet and swollen and his pupils being blown, “but I hope you’re planning on doing that again.”

“I think I could be persuaded,” Shaun said.

Zach pressed their bodies together and slid his free hand around Shaun’s neck. From the way Shaun moaned softly against his lips, Zach didn’t think it would take much persuading. “Just kissing though,” Zach said as he rocked his hips into Shaun. “I don’t want to push you into anything you’re not ready for, so I’m not going to ask you to take your clothes off and teach me how to give you a blow job.”

Shaun shuddered and gripped Zach’s hips so tight he thought he might have bruises even through his clothes. “You need to stop talking. Right now,” Shaun said.

Zach licked his lips. “Make me.”

Shaun did.

The End


End file.
